29 06, 2019

The sky

2019-06-29T09:47:52+00:00

Iphone October 2011 099

One of the greatest joys in building a home is having a sky over my head as I work.
I love this “ever changing ceiling” so much that it influences my home designs by adding elements which encourage the future inhabitants to come outside and experience all the wonders to be found there.
Porches, patios, paths, retaining walls, outbuildings, fire pits, gardens, and water features.
And yes, the sky.
Oh my.

Originally posted 2016-04-23 14:46:07.

The sky2019-06-29T09:47:52+00:00
29 06, 2019

What makes this cabin special?

2019-06-29T09:47:17+00:00

snowcabin

For the record I didn’t build this cabin, nor did I design it.  I wish I knew who did… I’d give them a tip of the old hat.

This cabin breaks a lot of the rules that I have placed on my own projects. The front porch is too small. The front of the cabin is not log, but rather switches over to paneling. The porch posts have structurally unnecessary angle braces. There is a door located in the gable end of the cabin, and there is vertical paneling above it rather than the traditional lap siding. And, there is a pretty unusual porch roof in the way it goes way up onto the cabin roof.  With all these “rule-breakers” I shouldn’t like this cabin… but the fact is, I do.  And, I do a lot.

So, what’s up with that?

First of all, there are no “rules” (I need to keep that in mind). There are proven things that work. And, on the other hand, there are features that often turn out to be mistakes or eyesores. But the fact is that sometimes proven things are boring, and unusual out-of-the-norm things turn out really well.  Go figure.

So, why is this cabin so darn cute?

Yes, of course, small things are often cute… kittens, puppies, children… and tiny houses. Got that.

And, this cabin has some nice logs, along with other natural materials and tasteful decorative touches.

But, it turns out that the “rule-breakers” are what adds to the charm of the home.

I believe a porch that would have been built any larger than this would have been distracting… perhaps overwhelming. This porch works thanks to it being so low to the ground, it’s almost as if it is part of a much larger patio that is the woods with a small sheltered roof above the rocking chairs.

And, how about that porch roof that goes all the way up the cabin roof?  It actually looks good, whereas a shorter, more typical one over that tiny porch would have looked stubby. Who likes “stubby”?… no one, that’s who.

The paneled siding on the front of the cabin eliminated the need for more logs (sometimes in short supply), and it provides more visual interest. It blends with the logs rather than contrasts… unlike say painted paneling or stone facade that wouldn’t.

By putting vertical siding on the gable end of the cabin the cottage now looks… well, taller… a nice enhancement. Tiny houses shouldn’t be squatty, tiny houses should be tall. (There I go with making rules again. lol… but I’m right on this one, probably)

I have found that the gable-end of a cabin, the one that has a chimney on it, is often the most attractive side of a cabin… but the end opposing the chimney is often plain and boring in comparison. By adding a door on this end the cabin has more visual interest. It’s as if the home now has two front profiles.

I learn so much from looking at the work of others. My work gets better… and it keeps me humble.

Artists often learn their trade by first studying the works of those that come before them and from their peers. Builders should too.

Originally posted 2016-03-05 15:36:36.

What makes this cabin special?2019-06-29T09:47:17+00:00
29 06, 2019

A hillside cabin

2019-06-29T09:45:58+00:00

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A hillside site provides an opportunity to showcase additional stonework, and, it creates a walk-out basement down below the cabin.
How about that!… a challenging house-site, initially viewed as a negative element, can lead to having a better home!

Originally posted 2016-01-09 15:46:12.

A hillside cabin2019-06-29T09:45:58+00:00
29 06, 2019

Another three-section log home

2019-06-29T09:45:41+00:00

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Here’s another three section log home to go with the one posted yesterday.
This house has great definition between the three sections thanks to the middle section being recessed.
But like the other log house she is in need of a stone chimney or two… and porches… where are the porches?… gotta have porches!

Originally posted 2015-12-31 10:29:48.

Another three-section log home2019-06-29T09:45:41+00:00
29 06, 2019

Making a good cabin great

2019-06-29T09:45:40+00:00

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What a nice log house!

This home is a great example of how a large home can be made from two smaller log cabins. I especially like the addition of the central sided area which provides visual contrast as well as extra living space…  a different “feel” has been created inside and out, and, at a reduced price per square foot than the log sections.

And, who doesn’t love that long porch?

If I had designed and built this home I would have made three changes, that I feel would have made this home perfect…

The home lacks the presentation of an exterior stone chimney, something we have come to expect to see on a log home… I would have placed one on the log section to the left in this image.

I would have also added more windows, one on each side of that added chimney… on both floors… and two more windows added on the framed section, above the porch roof.

And finally, I wouldn’t have aligned these three sections of the home so flush with each other on this side of the home. By stepping back each section a couple of feet this home would have developed much more character… more depth… and then each section would have not only blended with each other, but would have been appreciated for it’s uniqueness.

Originally posted 2015-12-30 14:25:48.

Making a good cabin great2019-06-29T09:45:40+00:00
29 06, 2019

Easy on the eyes

2019-06-29T09:45:31+00:00

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Here we have a cabin with a “wine bottle” chimney.
Notice the “handmadeness” of this entire cabin.
By avoiding manufactured materials (and the overt perfection that these materials achieve) we have a cabin here that is… well… easy on the eyes.

Originally posted 2015-12-26 13:33:10.

Easy on the eyes2019-06-29T09:45:31+00:00
29 06, 2019

You are not the only one who wants a handmade home

2019-06-29T09:45:20+00:00

IMG_1988

One year ago I began posting here and on Facebook… the handmade house community has now passed the 50,000 mark in that short time!  (this photo is what 50,000 people look like… it’s huge!)

It turns out that we are not alone… we are not just five or six people that are considered odd by the rest of the world. But rather many who want a special place to call home.

Originally posted 2015-12-19 14:45:51.

You are not the only one who wants a handmade home2019-06-29T09:45:20+00:00
29 06, 2019

Siting a home on a property

2019-06-29T09:45:05+00:00

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I believe that more than half of the parcels of land that I have built on over the years have been half wooded and half cleared… these are easy properties to pick the house site as a cabin looks best when it is nestled close to the tree line where field and woods meet, much like you see here in this image.

Here we have “His” and “Hers”  cabins.
But, which is which?  🙂

Originally posted 2015-12-12 15:17:06.

Siting a home on a property2019-06-29T09:45:05+00:00
29 06, 2019

The length of a porch

2019-06-29T09:44:50+00:00

IMG_1919

What a nice log cabin… (even though I didn’t build it)… lol

If I had to guess I would say this cabin is likely about 20 years old and was built using antique logs. The growth of the shrubs, the mix of early 1800’s strap hinges on the door with 20th century z-bracing on the window shutters, and a chimney without any crowning at the top, are all clues.

I’ve spent my career building cabins… I admire anyone that does the same… and I especially admire anyone that can build a cabin and leave no clues as to it’s age (almost impossible to do).

But here the one clue that cries the most to it’s age is the front porch roof… see how it extends beyond the log cabin where the two come together? I’ve never seen one like that on an old cabin… it draws the eye and once spotted distracts the viewer from fully appreciating  what would have been a nearly perfect project. The builder/designer of this cabin was focusing on the porch floor, not the larger porch roof that would be built above it.

The solution to this problem would have been to build the porch floor system shorter than the length of the cabin, much like you see in how the back addition to this cabin was built. I generally build the front porch two feet shorter than the cabin (a foot or so shy of the each end).

Originally posted 2015-12-08 17:12:18.

The length of a porch2019-06-29T09:44:50+00:00
29 06, 2019

Building a dream

2019-06-29T09:44:18+00:00

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One day you will have the home of your dreams (if you don’t already).
Perhaps next Thanksgiving having a home like this will be on your list of “things to be thankful for”.

Don’t be concerned if you don’t know where to begin… if you have found your way to this site… if you find yourself looking through the images here and have been reading my short commentaries on them… congratulations, you’ve already begun!

Originally posted 2015-11-26 16:25:01.

Building a dream2019-06-29T09:44:18+00:00
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